One conventional approach for producing a light-reflective object includes attaching a number of reflective decals formed on a paper or plastic base to the surface of these objects, for example with an adhesive. In other approaches, a reflective material is sprayed directly onto the object, for example through a patterned mask, or a desired pattern of the reflective material is formed and is then sewn on a fabric. The object is then covered with the fabrics. The reflective material can also be sewn directly onto the object.
The conventional approaches described above suffer from a number of disadvantages. One disadvantage is that the reflectivity of these surfaces can degrade prematurely since the reflective material is, in most cases, directly exposed to the environment, i.e., the ambient air, moisture, sunlight and dust. For example, if the reflective surfaces are formed of thin metal coatings, for example, silver or aluminum, such coatings tend to oxidize in air causing their reflectivity characteristics to degrade rapidly. An unprotected reflective surface can also be easily damaged and/or scratched upon contact with other objects, for example, when used in harsh environments, such as at a construction site. Reflective surfaces that are produced by spraying a reflective paint on the object, tend to have poor reflectivity and produce less vibrant colors.
Using an adhesive to attach reflecting decals on objects requires a large number of processing steps, such as printing, cutting and attaching. Thus, this approach is not cost-effective. Cutting and sewing is also required when the decals are attached to fabrics.